Crypto lender Cred will still be in control of its business as it heads into bankruptcy.
In an omnibus preliminary hearing on Friday, Judge John Dorsey of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court rejected a motion to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee to oversee Credâs restructuring.Â
The judge made the ruling with the caveat that if Cred equity holders Dan Schatt and Lu Hua attempt to fire Cred board member Grant Lyon, whoâs in charge of Credâs restructuring, then the court will step in and appoint a trustee to oversee the bankruptcy. Dorsey also appointed an examiner, who will provide an independent investigation into Credâs business.
âThereâs no evidence that anybody has done anything wrong since the [bankruptcy was filed],â said Paul Hastings LLP partner James Grogan, the attorney representing Cred in the case. âWeâre not here to sprinkle holy water on what the debtors did pre-petition. Nobody thinks that this company was well-run or was a model for business schools.âÂ
Cred froze withdrawals and deposits in October and declared bankruptcy in November. According to several former Cred employees, the companyâs Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing doesnât tell the whole story.Â
Read more: Bad Loans, Bad Bets, Bad Blood: How Crypto Lender Cred Really Went Bankrupt
The motion to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) unit that oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases. In denying the DOJâs request, Dorsey offered his thoughts on Credâs mismanagement.Â
âThereâs no doubt in my mind that there were shenanigans going on [before the bankruptcy case was filed],â the judge said before deciding not to enlist a Chapter 11 trustee.
Dorsey decided to delay a motion to allow one creditor to retrieve its crypto before the rest. The motion was filed by UpgradeYa, an investment firm that participated in Credâs borrowing program. The company wants the 478.17 BTC (now worth around $11 million) it used to secure a $2 million loan from Cred (in fiat) before other creditors get their assets back.Â
The company believes itâs entitled to the bitcoin now because itâs UpgradeYaâs property and not the estateâs. The judge may have to rule on whether the common bitcoin meme ânot your keys, not your cryptoâ applies.